Today’s Tidbit: CURLING From http://icing.org
The game of ‘kuting’ or ‘coiting’ with ‘kuting stanes’ or ‘coits’ were Scottish terms synonymous with ‘curling’ and ‘curling stones’ for much of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Yet it is the latter, modern words which are found in the first literary mention of the game in a work by Henry Adamson called The Muses Threnodie, or, Mirthful Mournings on the Death of Master Gall, published in 1639. Adamson had written a two-part poem in 1620 after a young merchant friend, James Gall, had died of tuberculosis. Although ‘curling stones’ are mentioned twice in the text, ‘curling’ features as one of Gall’s accomplishments in Adamson’s preface. This important part of the reference escaped the notice of curling historians for many years, presumably because of the scarcity of the original work.
James Gall … was much given to pastime, as golf, archerie, CURLING; and
Joviall companie.
End quote
And now you know… well… kinda. This is just one possible source of the word. The sport of Curling is definitely Scottish, dates at least to the 17th Century – and probably earlier – and is considered by the Scots as more their national game than even golf.
I’d always thought it had gotten the name from the slow spin you toss the stone on, so that towards the end of the ice it picks up a curl to drop it into position. 8D but that’s just what I’d thought. Alos, even playing it, I don’t think it’s that thrilling to watch.
When you consider that they’re pushing a 42-pound smooth piece of granite along an icy surface, it’s amazing just how much control a good curler can have over the movement and eventual placement of the stone.
Hey if you can come up with a sport with a broom and a rock and people wearing sequins pushing them around I think you would have a real winner. Great strip.
While I have no real fondness for ice dancing it does, at least, require more skill than jumping around on a gym floor waving a ribbon on a stick! And THAT is why I prefer the Winter Olympics.
And in case anyone’s mildly interested…..today’s my Birthday! Happy B-Day to me!
Happy Birthday, Orcbuddy! Let’s face it, everything is harder on ice. I’m a California girl, so for me “Walking to the car”, if done on ice, would be an impossible sport to master. Also, I don’t think curling would work on any surface BUT ice, would it? Those rocks wouldn’t slide!
We pulled up some Olympics online last night and Mike begged me to watch just one video of curling- then proceeded to laugh so hard he almost peed himself.
Happy Birthday, Orcbuddy… Thank you, Bo & Felix… welcome! Thanks Pete for the Scottish tidbits!
And sequined curling competitors!?? THAT I WOULD WATCH! Maybe they could throw in a triple lutz while there scraping the ice… or go into a spin? or maybe you could aim the rock at a spinning ice dancer and try to stop the rock before it hits’im…. that would add a layer of danger to the whole thing.
Truth be told… I actually watched some of the figure skating last night. Where else can you find a Japanese fella ice dancing the heck out of an Italian ditty!?
My cousins who works at a pet store once said that it would be overly amusing if they allowed them to use the bunnies for curling….then proceeded to tell us all the rules to rabbit curling.
Gerbils and bunnies! … that’d be cool. Every now and then, the little buggers would just get annoyed and take off… as best they could on ice! Oh, what fun! Did we just create a new olympic sport? rodents on ice…
Didn’t read all the comments, so I’m not sure if it were stated, but it’s called curling because of how you make the rock move. if you watch, the “brooms” scrub the ice, making the path in front of the curling stone smoother, allowing it to travel further, if only one side is scrubbed, and add to it the spin that the thrower puts on said stone, you will see the stone “curl” at the end of the court, instead of going in what would otherwise be a straight line. it is that curl in trajectory, that is the practical form behind the name. ^^
Today’s Tidbit: CURLING From http://icing.org
The game of ‘kuting’ or ‘coiting’ with ‘kuting stanes’ or ‘coits’ were Scottish terms synonymous with ‘curling’ and ‘curling stones’ for much of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Yet it is the latter, modern words which are found in the first literary mention of the game in a work by Henry Adamson called The Muses Threnodie, or, Mirthful Mournings on the Death of Master Gall, published in 1639. Adamson had written a two-part poem in 1620 after a young merchant friend, James Gall, had died of tuberculosis. Although ‘curling stones’ are mentioned twice in the text, ‘curling’ features as one of Gall’s accomplishments in Adamson’s preface. This important part of the reference escaped the notice of curling historians for many years, presumably because of the scarcity of the original work.
James Gall … was much given to pastime, as golf, archerie, CURLING; and
Joviall companie.
End quote
And now you know… well… kinda. This is just one possible source of the word. The sport of Curling is definitely Scottish, dates at least to the 17th Century – and probably earlier – and is considered by the Scots as more their national game than even golf.
Don’t knock Ice Dancing.
(Sings Dancing On Ice Theme tune)
…did i ever post here before? If not, i love this comic!
I’d always thought it had gotten the name from the slow spin you toss the stone on, so that towards the end of the ice it picks up a curl to drop it into position. 8D but that’s just what I’d thought. Alos, even playing it, I don’t think it’s that thrilling to watch.
Figure skating, on the other hand:
New. Family. Addiction.
Woah, the olympics are on again?
Here’s a bit more about Curling, for your edification:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/curling/insidethissport/index.html
http://www.nbcolympics.com/curling/insidethissport/history/newsid=258474.html#curling+history
When you consider that they’re pushing a 42-pound smooth piece of granite along an icy surface, it’s amazing just how much control a good curler can have over the movement and eventual placement of the stone.
Hey if you can come up with a sport with a broom and a rock and people wearing sequins pushing them around I think you would have a real winner. Great strip.
While I have no real fondness for ice dancing it does, at least, require more skill than jumping around on a gym floor waving a ribbon on a stick! And THAT is why I prefer the Winter Olympics.
And in case anyone’s mildly interested…..today’s my Birthday! Happy B-Day to me!
Happy Birthday, Orcbuddy! Let’s face it, everything is harder on ice. I’m a California girl, so for me “Walking to the car”, if done on ice, would be an impossible sport to master. Also, I don’t think curling would work on any surface BUT ice, would it? Those rocks wouldn’t slide!
We pulled up some Olympics online last night and Mike begged me to watch just one video of curling- then proceeded to laugh so hard he almost peed himself.
Guys, I’m sure she appreciates the effort, but I think the question was rhetorical… 😀
Happy Birthday, Orcbuddy… Thank you, Bo & Felix… welcome! Thanks Pete for the Scottish tidbits!
And sequined curling competitors!?? THAT I WOULD WATCH! Maybe they could throw in a triple lutz while there scraping the ice… or go into a spin? or maybe you could aim the rock at a spinning ice dancer and try to stop the rock before it hits’im…. that would add a layer of danger to the whole thing.
Truth be told… I actually watched some of the figure skating last night. Where else can you find a Japanese fella ice dancing the heck out of an Italian ditty!?
My cousins who works at a pet store once said that it would be overly amusing if they allowed them to use the bunnies for curling….then proceeded to tell us all the rules to rabbit curling.
The first thing that comes to my ‘mind’ combining brooms, rocks and sequins is Celebrity Quidditch.
Ooooo…Donald Trump IS the captain of Sltherin!
Gerbils and bunnies! … that’d be cool. Every now and then, the little buggers would just get annoyed and take off… as best they could on ice! Oh, what fun! Did we just create a new olympic sport? rodents on ice…
Didn’t read all the comments, so I’m not sure if it were stated, but it’s called curling because of how you make the rock move. if you watch, the “brooms” scrub the ice, making the path in front of the curling stone smoother, allowing it to travel further, if only one side is scrubbed, and add to it the spin that the thrower puts on said stone, you will see the stone “curl” at the end of the court, instead of going in what would otherwise be a straight line. it is that curl in trajectory, that is the practical form behind the name. ^^
Or frozen wonderland Croquet.